The House Which Time Forgot Sirius Business
by VictorianChik
Summary: The summer after rescuing Sirius from execution, Harry finds himself back at Snape's small house with a whole different bunch of problems and tough decisions to make. Warning: spanking.
1. Waiting

Harry toyed with a thick splinter on the desk, pressing the center of his thumb against it until the pain grew sharp and then pulling back to let the pain recede. Snape was finishing up what was supposed to be the last Potions class of their third year, and the old bat decided to take his time with it.

Every since Harry had rescued Sirius and had (accidentally) knocked Snape out in the Shrieking Shack, the man had been ever so slightly short with him. Harry had responded by taking the path of avoidance, going about cheerfully as if the whole world was one colorful carousel of love and friendship. Harry knew once they got home, back to the small house where Vampyre would be waiting, that Snape would unleash a fury of scolding and punishments and threats that would put Voldemort to shame in comparison.

Harry didn't understand how he got himself into such trouble, and so he was doing his best to pretend that he wasn't in trouble. He had once pretended that he was a Victorian schoolboy – pretending to be a version of himself not in trouble wasn't that hard.

Except . . .

Snape looked at him sternly, and Harry blanched for a second, forgetting how he was supposed to act.

"The fourth year of potions," Snape went on, glaring at the rest of the class who didn't understand what they had done to deserve such glaring, "is much more difficult than the simple potions we have performed here this year. Unlike most of the third-year potions, fourth-year potions often require rare ingredients that have irreversible effects. One small wrong step can lead to even worse problems, and the result of such errors is often . . . catastrophic."

Harry gulped, but he often thought it was unfair that Snape should use the class to subtly lecture him.

"In cases such as these, I will personally make sure the guilty party pays for his deliberate wrong-doing."

"But sometimes it isn't their fault," Harry spoke before he could stop himself. "Sometimes, things just happen and they don't mean to cause trouble."

The whole class had turned to look at him.

Snape sneered. "Once again, Mr. Potter has decided to be the center of attention. Our dear hero can't keep his mouth closed, even when he knows what's good for him."

Harry knew Snape had to keep up the act – only a handful of people knew that the man had adopted him – but it still stung.

"At least I'm a hero," Harry retorted, once again his impulses taking over his common sense. "Unlike other cowards in the room."

Draco gave him an ugly look, thinking that the comment was directed at him, but Snape's eyes narrowed.

"Ten points from Gryffindor."

"Who cares? I'll get them all back," Harry said, ignoring the prickling of his eyes at being so mean with Snape there.

"Mr. Potter will stay after class," Snape looked over the rest of the class, indicating that the argument was over. "As for those of you deciding to come back, your abominable skills must improve." Here he looked at Neville who sank down in his seat. "I will be giving you lists of required reading over the summer."

Harry looked back down at the splinter and let Snape's words turn into indistinct mumbling. Two more days, and they had a whole summer together. Last summer had started rough, what with his actions in the Chamber and then lying to Snape about being sick, but after that, they had had a rather nice time of it. Snape let him play for most of the day, and he got to go down the road about a mile to play with some children his age who were staying for the summer. All Muggles, but they had had a fun time playing with Vampyre, wading in a nearby creek, and exploring the woods.

But now, this summer, Harry had betrayed Snape's trust and chosen to save Sirius over obeying Snape. Sirius had even asked him to come live with him, as he was Harry's godfather, but Harry had avoided the question and had promised he would see Sirius later.

A few minutes later, the students filed out of the Potions classroom, and Harry was left alone with Snape.

"Come here," the man crooked two fingers at him.

Harry lifted his head momentarily and then dragged his feet over to Snape.

"What was that?" Snape demanded.

Harry gave a small shrug. "Dunno."

Snape let his breath out sharply. Then he pulled Harry towards him, tucked him against his side, and smacked his bottom hard.

"Ow, don't!" Harry protested. "They'll hear!"

"I hope they do," Snape smacked him again. "Don't you ever talk back to me in my class like that again, or I'll spank you in front of the whole class. You're got ten more coming and you can decide if you want to fight me and double that number."

Harry immediately let his body go limp and he was held against that black-robed side while Snape spanked him. Each spank seemed to resound against the stone wall, and Harry grimaced with each one, though he was careful to keep quiet. Towards the end, he made small, whining noises, but he held himself together until they stopped. At least he had a finite number. The worst was when Snape hauled him across his lap, and Harry had no idea how long his punishment might last.

"There," Snape stood him up, "are you going to behave now?"

"Yes," Harry looked away sullenly, feeling his bottom lip pressing out as he swallowed hard.

"We do not have time for me to deal with you about what you did in the Shrieking Shack," Snape went on. "So, we're going to have to wait until we get home. Then I'll take care of you, young man."

"It's two days," Harry objected. "I can't wait two days."

"You should have thought about that before you went charging after Black."

"I didn't think you'd find out about that."

"I find out about everything."

"No, you don't," Harry drew himself up. "You didn't find out that Ron and I had been passing notes all year in class."

"Yes, I did because you just told me."

Harry scowled at Snape's quick thinking, but Snape went on, "Passing notes? I'm going to add that to your list of crimes."

"List of crimes? You make me sound like a criminal. I'm not. I'm a good person." The tears were not far off, but Harry kept swallowing, trying to hold them back. "I am a good person. Trouble just finds me."

"Well, you don't exactly try to hide from it," Snape scoffed. "No, that's enough – put that sad look away. You know I can't have you giving me cheek in my class, and I certainly can't have you running around putting yourself in danger. Are you sure you feel fine after facing all those Dementors?"

Harry nodded, sniffing back any sign of tears. Even worse than a stern punishment was the fear that Snape was angry with him. Snape always had a dour, crusty demeanor and he never smiled enough for Harry, but there was a huge difference between Snape being angry and Snape being Snape.

"If I think you are hiding feeling the least bit sick, I will drag you up to Madame Pomfrey by your ear and I'll go home to fetch those bunny pajamas," Snape threatened.

Harry smiled and he leaned forward to hug Snape briefly. "I'm fine."

"You better be, despicable boy. Though I wouldn't mind having you walk around Hogwarts in bunny pajamas for a few days."

HP&HP&HP&HP&HP&HP&HP

"We're home!" Harry hollered as he ran through the door.

"Not so loud," Snape frowned as he followed Harry inside.

Vampyre bound down the hall and jumped on Harry. They tumbled to the ground, and Harry wrestled with the dog, rubbing his ears and squashing his great head against his chest in playful affection. He hadn't seen Vampyre much since last year; Snape had transformed the dog to a smaller animal and brought him to Hogwarts for some weeks and the dog had boarded at a nearby kennel other times. But to be back for good for the whole summer – Harry and Vampyre understood the joy of that in a way that Snape couldn't.

"Must you be so rough in the house," Snape carried one of their trunks into the house. "Harry, go get your – Harry! Get back here!"

Harry had raced through the kitchen, unlocked the back door, and dashed into the backyard.

Vampyre galloped after him, and they ran in large circles around the backyard like they were being chased by Death Eaters. Snape made no comment – just went to start dinner.

The night flew by and Harry found himself glad to fall into bed with Vampyre on the ground beside him.

The next day was full of cleaning the house, washing clothes, and rearranging new books on the shelves. Last summer, Harry had finally persuaded Snape to put in hot running water in the kitchen. Snape had thought of every excuse why they shouldn't, but in the end, Harry wore him down enough that he contracted plumbers (wizard plumbers that Harry didn't even know existed, but he guessed that wizards needed houses built like everyone else). The chores went faster with hot water, but Snape was still particular about Harry cleaning every corner as if their small house would be on display for some kind of wizard tour of homes.

Harry had memories of cleaning Aunt Petunia's house, and he wondered what Snape would say if Harry told him that he thought the man would look fitting in a frilly apron. But since Snape had been in a reasonable mood for the most part, Harry saw no point in rocking the boat.

In fact, he kept waiting for the lecture to start, for Snape to light into him – hell, Harry had been expecting the punishment to start the moment he walked into the door. But that was Snape for you – never predictable, never doing what you thought he would.

"Loves torturing me," Harry muttered as he poured water on the hallway floor and started scrubbing it with the scrubbing brush. "Every summer – time to torture the great Chosen One. I never get a –"

"Harry?" Snape leaned around from the kitchen.

"Yes, sir?" Harry leaned back on his heels, giving Snape his best hard-work-innocent-son look.

"Are your knees hurting?"

"No, sir, not at all. I haven't been kneeling very long."

"Make sure you clean the edges well." Snape disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Evil," Harry shook his head. "Just loves to keep me on edge."

The work was draining, and by suppertime that night, Harry felt like his eyelids were heavy and it took a great deal of energy to lift the fork to his mouth.

He hoped Snape would choose tonight to punish him, when he was really too tired to care and Snape was too tired to smack too hard. Harry still clung half-heartedly to the idea that he might not get spanked, but he knew Snape too well to suppose that Snape would choose another form of discipline when, in Snape's words, "it works so well for our little Prince." The only good thing about getting spanked was that once it was over, it was over and done with. No long grounding, or restrictions, or hostility that went on forever – a punishment over in about five minutes.

Maybe that's why Snape chose them – short and to the point, with clear terms that Harry could understand.

"I hate that I can understand why he does it," Harry scowled over his food while Snape went to get them cups of tea.

"Eat your food and then straight to bed," Snape set a cup in front of him.

"No, it's only seven o'clock."

"You're tired."

"I'm old enough to decide when I go to bed. I'm almost fourteen."

"You're a child and I'll decide when you go to bed."

"You're a bully and I'm not going to bed."

"Do you really want to have me start here now?" Snape raised an eyebrow.

"I thought the cleaning today was my punishment," Harry lied, wanting to feel Snape out.

"Today was a warm-up. You've been good and respectful which helps tremendously. But I think we'd better wait until tomorrow to start. I want you fresh and rested."

"What are you going to do?" Harry demanded. "I've waited three days now – this is cruel and inhumane."

"No, what I wanted to do to you when I found you lying unconscious by the lake beside Black was cruel and inhumane," Snape replied. "What I plan to do to you now is very, very fair and deserved. And once we are done, I guarantee you will be agreeing wholeheartedly with me along with everything else that I say."

"Evil," Harry glared down at the rest of his food.

"No, just very thorough. We are done with you getting into trouble and disobeying the rules."

"I don't mean to get into trouble."

"That, my boy, does not matter in the least as you keep getting into trouble every time I turn around. What about sneaking to Hogsmeade in that infernal Invisibility Cloak?"

"You punished me for that! You spanked me and then made me clean cauldrons for hours, sitting on that hard stool."

"I should have taken that Cloak away from you just like I did the Map."

"It's mine," Harry insisted. "You can't take my things away."

"I can if you don't use them responsibly. I don't understand why I ever took in such a horrid little bother."

"Because you like me," Harry shot back.

The edges of Snape's mouth twitched for a second, but he wore his usual sneer as he scoffed. "As if anyone could like you. You are far too much trouble, and you take up too much space and you eat too much all the time."

"I haven't even finished my food," Harry gestured down to his plate.

"You're not getting up until you've finished every single bite," Snape ordered. "I've tried to put some meat on your bones, but you stay thin and scrawny, just to spite me."

Harry grinned impulsively. "It's good to be home."

"You'll think 'good' tomorrow once I'm done with you. Finish eating."

Harry knew he should be worried about the next day, but he felt too tired and satisfied to get too upset. He finished eating and went upstairs. He took a long bath, brushed his teeth, and lay on his bed in pajamas, reading a Quidditch book until the words blurred before him. He yawned.

The book was yanked out from under his gaze, and Snape snapped it shut.

"I told you to go to bed."

"I'm in bed," Harry yawned again as he rolled over and got under the covers. "You didn't say go to sleep. It's not even nine yet."

"You need sleep. You should be hitting a growth spurt soon, and if you don't get enough rest, you'll stay short forever."

"Oh, low blow." Harry grinned. "That's funny. Short and low blow? Puns are fun."

He snuggled on his side as Vampyre padded inside and Snape turned the light out before walking out.

Harry felt he had only been asleep a few moments when he heard the dog give a short bark.

"Shh," he cracked an eye. "Still nighttime."

Harry closed his eyes to go back to sleep when the dog barked again.

"Ugh," Harry rolled on his back. "You need to go out? Go ask Snape. I'm asleep."

Something scraped against the window. Harry shot right up in bed and looked towards the window. Ever since last year when he had climbed out in the bunny suit to escape, Snape had threatened to lock the window shut, but the man had never carried through with his threat. As far as Harry knew, the window still opened.

A shape was at the window, and Harry gave a soundless cry as he stared at the face of a man with wild dark hair. A split second later, he realized it was Sirius.

Shocked, Harry tumbled out of bed and went to the window. "Sirius?"

"Harry," the man smiled as he held onto the window edge for balance.

Vampyre gave a low growl.

"Shh," Harry motioned for the dog to be quiet. "What are you doing here, Sirius? I thought you were going into hiding."

"I am. But I heard from Dumbledore that you were here. I didn't realize that you were staying at Snape's house, and I came as soon as I could to rescue you."

"Rescue me?" Harry blinked. "But I'm not in danger. I live here with Snape. Snape . . . Snape adopted me."

The smile dropped from Sirius's face. "What? How could you agree to that? How could Dumbledore let that happen?"

"I dunno," Harry dropped his gaze for a second. "Two years ago . . . I kind of ended up here for the summer, and it wasn't good at first, but then it got better. Then got even better, and at the end we decided I should stay."

"What kind of mind-controlling potions has he been giving you?" Sirius asked. "I'm your godfather. You belong with me. I was best friends with your father and mother. They named me your godfather. You can come and live with me and get away from this maniac."

"Snape's not a maniac," Harry protested. "He's a good a person. Yes, he has flaws, but I'm not perfect either. In fact, I'm in big trouble for what I did in the Shrieking Shack."

"I've come to take you away," Sirius said. "It's what your father would have wanted me to do. You belong with me. Get your clothes and climb out and we'll go far away from here."

Vampyre growled again, but Harry didn't move. "I – I – I –"

"What is going on in here?" Snape's loud voice rang out, and Harry jumped.

Snape stood in the doorway, holding an oil lamp, and the moment he saw Sirius, rage flashed over his face. Vampyre gave an angry bark.

Sirius reached in and grabbed Harry's shoulder with one hand. "Harry belongs with me."

Harry looked at Snape, wondering what his response would be.


	2. Altered

Snape's face hardened, and Harry shrank back. "No, he belongs here. Harry, come here."

Harry took a slow step towards Snape, but Sirius reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him to the window.

"He's coming with me, Snivelus, and you can't do a thing about it."

Snape's eyes flared, and he strode forward to grab Harry's free arm. "No, he stays here."

"Ow!" Harry complained as he was being pulled in opposite directions. "Can't we talk about this?"

"There is no talking. I signed the adoption papers, and he belongs here."

"But that was before I knew about you and the truth about you," Harry assured Sirius. Then, feeling bad for Snape, he turned over his shoulder and said, "But I'm glad you signed the papers. I want to live here. But," he looked back at Sirius, "I would have lived with you. Snape was just in line first."

"No," Snape shook his arm roughly, "you don't get out of it that easily. If you had to choose between us, who would you have chosen?"

"I don't know," Harry admitted.

Both men pulled his arms hard, and he shouted, "Ow! Stop! I really don't. You," to Snape, "locked me in a cellar and made me study all summer. And you," to Sirius, "hid in prison for twelve years."

"That wasn't my fault," Sirius said at the same time Snape said, "You were being disobedient and out of control!"

"Stop!" Harry yelled. Vampyr barked sharply, and both men let go of him. Harry rubbed his arms where their grips had chafed. "I'm not a piñata you can pull apart."

"A what?" Sirius asked.

"A toy filled with candy, you idiot," Snape retorted. "Amazing how pure blood wizards ignore all other cultures like we're on different planets. No wonder you stayed in prison – you couldn't survive in the real world."

Sirius tilted his head to the side. "Are you talking, Snivelus? I couldn't hear you past that enormous nose wearing your tiny face."

"That's not very nice," Harry spoke up. "Could we stop the insults long enough for Sirius to come inside?"

"He's not coming inside," Snape sneered. "I'm calling the authorities and having them take him away."

"You can't do that," Harry said.

"Excuse me?"

Harry got that old sinking feeling that he always got when he was in trouble with Snape: partly scared, partly relieved that Snape had some kind of boundaries set, a line that Harry knew he couldn't cross without paying consequences. But he forged on bravely, "Sirius was named my godfather. I owe him enough to let him inside. It's only right."

Snape crossed his arms and didn't say anything, but Sirius came inside and stood facing Snape with Harry in the middle. Vampyr growled, low and dangerous, but Harry stroked the dog's head.

"Shh. It's okay. No one's going to do anything bad. We're just talking. We can talk."

"There's nothing to talk about," Sirius said. "I'm taking Harry with me, and if you try to stop, I'm going to blow this house apart. Harry belongs with me. I was friends with both his parents, I wasn't a Death Eater, and I'm not a bitter old man living through some delusion that adopting Lily's son will bring her back. She didn't love you. She chose James, and she chose the better man because no one would ever want to be with you, you –"

"All right," Harry interrupted, "we've heard Sirius's side of this. Not what we wanted to hear, but still . . . Snape, it's your turn."

But Snape's face had hardened. It was ugly and cold and marble-like, raw bitterness marking his features.

"You can say something," Harry prompted. "But maybe you want to say something a little nicer?"

Snape looked at Sirius, and Harry braced himself for an ugly tirade. But Snape only said, "I'm not discussing this. Harry can go with whoever he chooses. I won't stand in his way."

Harry glanced at Snape as a quick pang of worry shot through him. He had expected Snape to construct a brilliant comeback or at least argue that Harry should stay there because Snape had gone to so much trouble to take care of the little brat. Harry was not prepared for quiet defeat.

He couldn't stand the look on Snape's face – that blank shutdown of emotions that he wore as a way of convincing himself that he didn't care. Harry knew Snape did care, and if Snape thought he was getting away with not feeling what he was actually feeling, well then, Snape had another thought coming as far as Harry was concerned.

"Snape, I want to talk to Sirius alone," Harry said quietly. "Can you take Vampyr outside and wait in the hall?"

Rather than tell Harry that he wasn't the one who made the decisions, Snape took the dog and walked out into the hall, shutting the door behind him.

The moment it was shut, Harry said in a soft voice, "Look, I'd like to come with you. If you had found me two years ago, I would have come with you in a heartbeat. But I can't now. I know it sounds mad, but Snape needs me. He won't show it, but he was not all right when I first came here. I helped him, and he would destroy himself in this house all alone."

"But you're just a kid," Sirius argued. "You shouldn't have to make these kinds of decisions. You deserve to have a happy childhood or what's left of it. I can give that to you."

Harry hated himself for what he had to say in reply, "I know, Sirius, but – but you can't give that to me right now. I know you mean well, but you're on the run. Where would we live? Where would we go? I have school and friends and Voldemort to fight and spells to learn and people to protect. How can I do that if we have to go into hiding?"

Sirius stepped back, wounded, and Harry assured him, "That doesn't mean you can't come visit here. I'll die before I let Snape turn you in. You have a right to see me and spend time with me, and I'm not going to try to stop you, but I can't come with you right now. If your name was cleared, if everyone knew the truth –"

"You'd still choose Snape," Sirius said flatly. "He got to you first. He manipulated you, he lied to you, he tricked you. What did he tell you about your father? What lies did he fill your head with so you would like him?"

"He didn't lie to me. Well, not too much. It's complicated. Our first summer was rough and weird and some other stuff, but Snape needs me now. I can't just walk away, not after he worked so hard to let me in and to care about someone else. There has to be a way both of you can share me, even if you just come visit."

"You should live with me," Sirius said. "That's what your parents wanted."

"I know, but they're not here and Snape was," Harry answered. "Please try to –"

Sirius turned away angrily and went to the window.

"Sirius, don't," Harry said.

"I'm not leaving forever," Sirius said as he threw one leg over the window sill. "I'll be here to show you how twisted and evil Snape really is. He's blinded you, but I'll make you see."

He ducked out of the window, and Harry heard him climb down the roof. Taking a deep breath, Harry went to the door and opened it. Snape stood in the hallway, stiff as a board.

"He's gone," Harry said. "But he'll come back. I can't ignore him, and I don't want to. He should be a part of my life now."

Snape made no motion of having heard him. Vampyr trotted forward and nuzzled Harry's hand.

"Are you all right with that?" Harry watched Snape carefully.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Snape's voice was like ice.

"Snape, come on –"

"You should be asleep," Snape cut him off. "Go back to bed."

Harry settled in the bed, but rather than lay on the floor beside him, Vampyr climbed up in the bed and settled down beside Harry, taking up more than half the bed. Harry didn't mind. He stared at the ceiling, listening to the dog breathe and thinking that he still felt like he was being pulled in two.

The next morning dawned gray and rainy. Harry found Snape in the kitchen, fixing breakfast. Rather than plain porridge and toast, Snape set a plate of eggs, fruit, bacon, and muffins in front of him along with juice, tea, and milk.

Harry held up the muffin like it was an exotic treasure. "We have muffins? Did you bake muffins?"

"Maybe," Snape sat down on the opposite side of the table.

"Since when do you bake muffins?"

"I'll bake muffins any time I like," Snape replied.

That was the first thing that made Harry suspicious, especially since Snape never went out of his way to be creative for breakfast.

"What's the plan for today?" Harry asked, halfway into his food. The muffin really was delicious and he eyed the other few left on the baking rack. "What's my punishment going to be? A cane? A cat-o'nine-tails? Pulling out my fingernails?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I want you to tend to the garden for a bit."

Harry watched Snape closely. "I did that last summer. It's part of my chores. How is that a punishment?"

"You'll have to keep it very tidy," Snape reached over and set the baker's rack of muffins next to Harry's plate. "Eat up."

Snape got up to start the dishes (normally Harry's job), and Harry gave Vampyr a side glance to see if the dog was surprised by Snape's behavior. But Vampyr only had eyes for Harry's bacon, and Harry snuck him a half a slice.

After breakfast, Harry headed toward the back door, but Snape stopped him. "No, it's rainy. You'll catch cold."

"It's warm and not raining yet. I'm going to be hoeing and planting and watering so it doesn't matter if it rains or not."

"Maybe later. Why don't you go read for a while? Or you can play with your toys? I put them on the living room shelves."

"I'm thirteen, almost fourteen. I don't play with figurines anymore," Harry crossed his arms.

"Then why don't you practice transforming spells on them? Or levitating?"

"It's illegal for an underage wizard to perform magic."

"I'm here so they'll never know," Snape shrugged.

"All right," Harry threw his arms out, "who are you and what have you done with Severus Snape? You make me follow all your ridiculous rules along with all the real ones. If I had suggested breaking wizarding rules last summer, you'd have skinned me alive. What's going on?"

"Nothing," Snape's face was blank. "Just trying to give you something to do. Do whatever you like."

Harry slowly walked out of the kitchen, glancing back at Snape uneasily. "Losing his mind," Harry muttered as he went into the living room and grabbed a book from the shelves. "I'm surrounded by mad hatters. But not you," this to Vampyr who had come over and put his head in Harry's lap. "Never you. You're the sanest person in this house, and you can't even talk. You want to go on a walk?"

Vampyr barked happily at the word walk, and Harry reached down to rub the dog's silky head.

"We'll go into the village, but we can't stay too long. Snape will change his mind and decide on a punishment sooner or later. Snape!" Harry raised his voice. "We're going on a walk."

He expected Snape to yell back that he shouldn't yell, but instead Snape came to the doorway. "Please wear your coat and don't wander off too far."

Harry's jaw dropped at the _please_, but he supposed he should be grateful. "First time he ever had manners in this house," he told the dog as he grabbed his coat and headed out the front door. "I don't think he's ever politely requested I do anything ever."

The air outside was warm and wet, and Harry broke into a light jog beside the dog. In minutes they were sweating, but Harry pushed on and on. They reached the little village two miles away, but rather than stop, Harry kept jogging down the lane.

He finally realized he was alone and looked back to see Vampyr dragging on the road, the dog's tongue hanging out. Harry slowed and he walked the dog down to the woods and towards the babbling brook. There Vampyr drank and Harry got some water, too, from the stream. It was freezing cold and hurt his teeth.

They jogged for another twenty minutes after that, but Harry had not turned back, and by the time he finally stopped by the rock formations, they were a good six miles from the house. As they started trudging home, Harry did put on his coat. While running, his body had been covered in sweat, but once he stopped, he got cold and clammy. Halfway back, it started raining, and Harry hurried through the rain, wishing he hadn't gone so far. Snape always told him to turn back when he still wanted to keep going so that way he could make it home without collapsing.

On the last mile, Vampyr dragged his four feet, and Harry's left ankle was hurting so he limped slightly. Once the house came into sight, he limped faster towards the gate. Rain poured down, soaking both of them, and Harry knew he had to get the dog dry so Vampyr didn't get sick.

The kitchen door opened, and Snape was there, waiting with a worried face and two towels.

"Where were you?" Snape demanded. "It's been raining for an hour."

"Sorry," Harry grabbed one towel and got on his knees to towel Vampyr off. "I shouldn't have gone so far."

"How far did you go?"

"To the rock formations," Harry winced, waiting for the fight to follow. Now that he was older, Snape let him go off on his own, but Harry had never gone that far with just the dog.

"The rock formations! Have you lost your –" Snape cut off abruptly. When he spoke again, his voice was calm and blank, "I really wish you wouldn't go so far."

Harry looked up. "I'm sorry. I really am. I just kept running. And you're right – it did rain and I'm freezing."

He expected Snape to light into him, maybe stand him up and swat him a few times. But Snape did nothing except hand him a towel and say, "I'll go draw a bath for you."

Normally, Harry would have protested but this time he just nodded and continued to dry off the dog.

Later after a bath and new dry clothes, Harry sat in the living room, reading, with a blanket covering his legs when Snape came into the room. Snape handed him a vial full of some nasty potion.

"Would you take this please?" Snape handed it to him. "I don't want you to get sick."

Harry felt that the whole world had turned upside down as he took the potion and swallowed it with a grimace.

"Thank you," Snape handed him a glass of water. Once Harry took the glass, Snape left the room, leaving Harry to stare after him.

That was not how potions got taken in this household. Aggravated, Harry slammed his book shut and played the conversation in his head, the normal conversation that took place whenever Snape appeared with a potion.

"_Take this."_

"_No, I don't want to."_

"_I didn't ask if you wanted to. Open your mouth and swallow it."_

"_It looks gross. I don't want to take any of your disgusting potions."_

"_You'll take this and you'll like it, or I'm locking you in the cellar again."_

"_I'll run away."_

"_I'll find you and whack you with the hairbrush."_

"_Oh, fine. Give me the potion. Tyrant."_

"_Brat."_

And then Snape would leave without ever offering a glass of water and Harry would have to go to the kitchen to get something to take the awful taste out of his mouth. That was the way he took potions, and so far there had been nothing wrong with that method as far as he could tell. Since when was Snape all ultra-polite? Where did Snape get off thinking he could decide to be nice all of a sudden?

Harry narrowed his eyes. There would be payback for this. Snape had promised a punishment and instead delivered nice requests as if they were some kind of sweet family that got along well together. Harry could stand the fighting; he could weather the punishments, and he was certain he could take anything Snape dished out. But more than anything, Harry could not stand inconsistency.

Snape appeared in the doorway. "I'm going into the village to get some food for dinner. What would you like?"

Harry nearly fell out of his chair. Never in the last two years had Snape asked what he wanted to eat. Oh, once in a while, Snape would come back from the village with a bag of sweets and throw them at Harry, grumbling, "Because I know you'll sneak them anyway." Harry would catch the bag and chomp on the candy with a smirk, thinking about the candy that he had hidden upstairs which his friends sent him every week by owl, tucked in between letters and slim books. Ron had even hollowed out a whole book and packed a pound of candy in it along with instructions to send the book back when Harry wanted more.

"What do I want for dinner?" Harry repeated blankly.

"You seem to like most everything, but I could always cook something that you fancy."

Harry was sure that was the first time Snape had ever used the word _fancy_ and he was half-surprised that the world didn't end right then and there. "No, I'm good with whatever you choose. Are – are you all right, though? You sure you didn't wake up this morning possessed or under the Imperius Curse?"

"No, I just want to make sure you're happy."

Snape went out and shut the front door after him.

"You'll have to take ice skates," Harry called after him, "because hell has frozen over!"

Harry leaned back against the chair weakly and looked at Vampyr who dozed on the rug. "What did I do to deserve this?"

Snape's niceness continued for the rest of the day, and Harry found himself seething over dinner as Snape kept filling his plate and asking if everything tasted okay.

"Yes, because if it didn't, you'd fix something else," Harry muttered. "This is fine. Please, Snape, tell me what I can do to make this all better. Won't you just punish me? It might make you feel better. Have me scrub the house with a toothbrush or plow the garden with a spoon. I'll sleep outside in a hole if you like."

"Don't be absurd," Snape replied. "You always come up with the most ridiculous ideas."

"That's right," Harry grinned. "I'm the stupidest boy on the planet, and you can't believe how you got stuck with such a moron."

"No, you're very smart," Snape began clearing the table.

"But I don't apply myself enough," Harry provided, starting to feel desperate. "I'm lazy, I slack off, I waste everyone's time."

"You spend an average amount of time on your studies."

Harry glared at him, and before he could think, Harry grabbed a coffee mug and threw it towards the kitchen window. The mug broke through the window with a shattering of glass. Vampyr barked, worried by the violent noise.

Harry turned to Snape defiantly.

"You shouldn't throw things," Snape took out his wand. "_Reparo._"

The window repaired itself.

"Argh!" Harry yelled, stomping his foot. He marched down the hall, furious with himself, but mostly with Snape. Just when did Snape think he could act so normal and it would be accepted?

"Wretched bat," Harry flung the front door open. "I'm not putting up with this –"

He broke off as he saw Sirius standing in the middle of the road.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked, coming closer.

"Nothing," Harry tried to school his features. "Just a small argument because some people are being completely unreasonable. Some people," he turned to look back at the house, "don't know a good thing when it throws a mug through their kitchen window!"

"Then you'll come with me?" Sirius put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll give you a better life – I promise."

"Fine," Snape snapped from the front door before Harry could say anything. "Just take him. He'll go with you eventually. Take him."

"No, wait," Harry protested, turning to Snape desperately. "Don't do this. Think about what you're saying – think about what this would mean."

"You're better off with him," Snape said. His face was so set that Harry felt his insides start to sink with dread. "Go with him. Be happy with someone else."

Vampyr was barking through the living room window, but Snape turned and closed the front door.

Harry wasn't sure exactly what all he felt at that moment, but the same rage that had burned through him two years ago when Snape shut him out came back. It was the last straw – having the door slammed in his face. Being shut out. Being left alone. Being abandoned.

Wrenching away from Sirius, Harry ran to the door and kicked it hard.

"You bastard!" he yelled at the solid wood. "You open up or I'll burn this place to the ground. You don't get to shut me out. You don't get to ever close this door."

"Harry," Sirius tried to intervene, but Harry ignored him.

"Open this door, Severus Snape. I mean it, right now. Open this door, you –" Harry let loose with the word he had used two years ago, but he followed it up with a few new ones he had learned since then. The string of profanity was so bad that Sirius stepped back with a sharp gasp.

"That's right!" Harry screamed at the top of his lungs. "You heard me, you –"

He was halfway through the swear words again when the door jerked open, and an outraged Snape stepped out.

"How dare you use those –"

Snape never got a chance to finish. Harry punched him in the face.


	3. Forceful

The sensation of punching someone was one Harry could not understand as it happened. It wasn't like hitting his knuckles against a wall or a door. Flesh was soft at first, but there was muscle and bone underneath that.

Harry's right fist collided with Snape's face, right under the man's left eye, to the side of his nose.

Snape staggered a step back from the blow, and pain and shock mingled on his face as his hand flew instinctively to where he had been hit.

Any other time, Harry would have felt awful; even as he was punching he couldn't believe that he – the nice, dark-haired boy who fought against evil and cared about the helpless – was capable of such violence. He was lashing out at the man who had taken him in, who cared about him when he was sick, who got onto him when he stepped out of line, who had adopted him – he was punching that man in the face.

And Harry felt nothing but satisfaction as he did. Beautiful, wonderful, glorious feeling – striking someone as hard as he could.

Then Snape looked at him.

Harry tried to hold onto the anger. He tried to push his rage forward, to look back at Snape defiant, and he half-managed to do it. But as Snape stared at him, Harry felt his mouth start to tremble and he could barely swallow as a big knot gathered in his throat.

No one said anything, but Vampyr's barks echoed from the living room.

Snape reached forward. Harry winced, closing his eyes to brace himself for the slap that he felt certain would come. Snape would slap him and then shove him out the door forever.

A hand closed around Harry's collar, and he looked up to see Snape dragging him into the house. Harry looked back at Sirius, but Sirius was following with wide eyes and a stunned face.

Snape marched Harry into the living room and right into an empty corner.

"Stand still," Snape ordered. "Hands behind your head. Interlock your fingers."

Harry shakily pulled his hands up and laced them behind his neck. He was breathing hard, almost panting, and he had no idea what would happen next.

"You don't move a muscle," Snape told. "Black, you sit there. No one move."

Sirius must have obeyed because Harry heard the wooden chair creak as Sirius sank into it.

"I'll be right back," Snape promised in a low dangerous voice.

He left the room. Vampyr padded behind Harry and lay down on the floor, guarding him until the master of the house would return.

"Are you insane?" Sirius whispered. "Why did you go and punch him?"

"I'm not supposed to talk in the corner," Harry whispered back. It was the truth, but he didn't want to explain how furious he had been. Sirius still thought he was a halfway-decent person, and Harry wanted him to keep thinking that for as long as possible.

"I've wanted to punch him loads of times," Sirius continued. "But that put everything I've ever seen to shame. Prisoners in Azkaban weren't that ruthless."

"Shh," Harry felt sick. He wished Sirius weren't there, and he kind of wished no one was there to see him punch Snape, not even Snape himself.

Sanpe came back in the room, holding a dishcloth full of ice over his face. Harry wanted to burst into tears, but he forced himself to stare rigidly into the corner. "I'm not leaving."

"Oh, you'll be lucky if I ever let you outside again," Snape lowered the ice.

Harry looked at him, relieved that Snape wasn't going to kick him out again. But then Harry turned back to the corner again. He wouldn't cry. He was thirteen, almost fourteen, and that was all grown up.

"Black," Snape turned to talk to Snape, "I have legal custody of the brat who just punched me. You do not. You are on the run, and if I called the authorities, they would be here in minutes to arrest you."

"You didn't, did you?" Harry looked at Snape.

"But," Snape put his hand on the back of Harry's head and turned his head so he faced the corner again, "since you have been involved with this mess since the brat rescued you, you can stay. But you say one word, you try to interfere, you so much as look disapproving, and I will have the dog escort you out."

"I won't as long as you don't hurt Harry," Sirius replied.

"I'm not going to damage him," Snape promised, "but he's about to get his behind blistered."

"Wait a minute," Sirius half rose, but Harry turned back to Snape and protested,

"Not in front of Sirius."

"You want him in the other room?" Snape asked.

"Yes," Harry said at the same time that Sirius said, "Never!"

Snape looked back and forth at them, as if trying to figure out whom he wanted to agree with the most. Harry knew Snape would like to see that neither he nor Sirius got their way, but that wasn't possible. Snape's eyes settled on Harry, and there was a determined glint in them. Harry closed his eyes in resigned despair.

"Out of the corner," Snape directed. "Drop your hands. Now, tell me why you said those words. And why you punched me."

"You shut the door," Harry dropped his hands awkwardly by his side. "I shouldn't have thrown that mug, but you were being all nice and unbearable all day."

"You don't like it when I'm nice?"

"Not like that. You aren't polite and kind to me all the time like we're living in some kind of little children's story where everyone loves each other. You give orders, you make me do chores, you call me names."

"I've never called you names."

"And I've never thrown a tantrum in this house."

Snape nodded his compliance. "All right, so you threw the mug because I was too nice. I assure you that won't be a concern of yours anytime in the near future."

"But you didn't do anything," Harry felt his eyes start to prickle, but he swore he wouldn't cry in front of Sirius. "I threw a mug through the window, and you didn't do anything. Since when does anyone get to throw mugs, and their adoptive father sits there like stone? And I stormed out because I was upset, but you didn't do anything. Since when do I get to stomp out in the middle of an argument? You used to ground me for that. You made me write lines at Hogwarts – _I will leave the classroom quietly even when I am upset_. A thousand times!"

"I let you stomp out this evening after you threw the mug," Snape nodded again.

"And I was going to talk to Sirius for a second, and you decided that I needed to leave forever. Is that how we're going to settle arguments these days, Snape? Interaction with anyone else gets us kicked out? I talk to a hiker – I have to leave? You say hello to a neighbor, and you have to go? Vampyr chases a squirrel – dog pound for him?"

"That is not the same, and you know it," Snape crossed his arms. "I wasn't angry because you talked to Sirius."

"No, you thought I was going to choose him so you pretended to be nice," Harry said, stating his earlier suspicions.

Snape blinked, an admission of guilt.

"Please," Harry scoffed, surprising himself with his own bravery, "that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. I didn't agree to the adoption because you were the nicest person that offered."

"At the time, I was the only person who offered."

"Maybe," Harry crossed his own arms. "But I still chose you over ratting your ass out to Dumbledore."

Snape's eyebrows went up, and Sirius shifted on the chair.

"That's right – I said _ass_," Harry went on brazenly. "It's mild compared to what I said before. I shouldn't have said those words, and I shouldn't have hit you. But you shouldn't push me away and close the door on me, and you aren't allowed to be nice unless it's because you feel guilty about being awful before. I didn't agree to you being nice. You were mean and grouchy and short-tempered and fairly insane, but I took that Snape on. You think I'm going to jump ship because something better comes along? Grow up, Snape."

Sirius's mouth fell open. Harry was shaking a little, and his fingertips were buzzing. He had never spoken so directly to Snape. Harry had no idea if he should keep going, burst into tears, or leave the room. Maybe start running for his life.

"Are you done?" Snape asked between clenched teeth.

"Yes. Are you done being an absolute idiot?"

Snape said nothing, just studied him deliberately for a few seconds. Harry stared back at him. He wasn't going to back down now – he was just as stubborn as Snape, maybe more so. Snape had given up because he thought he couldn't compete with Sirius?

"Pathetic," Harry sneered.

That was apparently the end of Snape's rope. "That's enough out of you. Go upstairs and bring down the hairbrush."

Harry moved towards the hall, his steps loud and marked.

"You stomp up those stairs and I'll double what you have coming," Snape threatened.

Only once he was at the top of the stairs, having climbed up quietly, did Harry allow himself to smile. The old Snape was back.

The smile disappeared as he picked up the hairbrush that Snape made him keep on the bureau in his bedroom. The brush was heavier than Harry remembered: solid wood with a back wider than his outspread hand. He never used it, and he tried hiding it in one of the drawers, but it constantly reappeared on the top of the bureau which meant Snape was snooping through his room as well.

"Git," Harry muttered as he trudged back to the stairs. He walked as slowly as he dared, dropping his weight heavily with each step, but not stomping.

In the living room, Sirius was still sitting and watching with round eyes, but Harry tried not to look. Vampyr was gone, probably put outside. Harry went to Snape and tried to reason,

"Can't you just use your hand? It hurts as much."

"No lying," Snape took the brush. "If I wanted to use my hand, I wouldn't have sent you to get the brush."

"I'm not going over your lap," Harry tried to stand his ground. "That's for kids, and I'm too old."

"All right," Snape contended. "Bend over the sofa. But you better not wiggle around or move out of place or I'll start over."

"Evil," Harry grumbled as he went to stand by the sofa and leaned over the arm. He had persuaded Snape to buy it last year, and it was a comfortable, modern sofa with wide arms that Harry liked to prop his ankles on when he stretched out to read a book. Snape was always after him to put his feet down before he broke the arm, but of course now he didn't care about the precious arms, wretched bat.

Snape put a hand on his back. "Why are you getting punished?"

Harry looked down at his arms on the sofa cushion. "Because I swore and I hit you. I'm sorry for that, really I am. I didn't mean to."

"Oh, I think you did. But this is for more than what you just did. I'll admit your reaction was partly my fault, but what did you do before? Specifically at Hogwarts?"

"I rescued Sirius," Harry closed his eyes.

Thwack! Thwack! The hairbrush whacked him on one side, then the other. "Ow!" Harry arched his back up.

"Tell me the truth," Snape said, still keeping a hand on his back.

From the corner of his eye, Harry could see Sirius move. Harry was surprised Sirius hadn't already decked Snape and tried to kidnap his godson.

"Harry," Snape's voice had a warning in it.

"I put myself in danger. I put Hermione in danger too, but really Snape I had to –"

Thwack, thwack, thwack! The hairbrush swung down in rhythm, and Snape kept spanking with vigor. The hairbrush hurt way more than Harry remembered, but he wondered if Snape was swinging hard because he thought Harry was older and could take more.

Ugh, it was awful!

Harry twisted back and forth, trying to get out of line of that horrid thing. "Snape, please! I'm sorry – I said that. I won't do it again."

"Really?" Snape mercifully paused, and Harry drew in a shaky breath. "What about the Chamber? What about stealing the Stone? What about sneaking around at night?"

"You punished me for that already!" Harry said, trying not to yell. "You can't punish me for something twice."

"No, but I can remind you about it."

"Once something has been punished, it should be erased," Harry insisted.

"If it were a bad attitude or poor marks, maybe," Snape replied. "When you start doing things that will get you killed, I'll bring them up every time I feel like it."

Harry had no intelligent reply for that, so he huffed, "I want the nice Snape back."

No reply came. Snape started swatting again. The brush smacked so effectively, so horribly, that Harry grit his teeth and blinked quickly. He hated being punished. He wished he could hate Snape, but the opportunity for that had passed.

And honestly, Harry had guessed where the whole situation was heading the moment he started swearing and punching. If Snape hadn't done anything, Harry knew he would have felt cheated. And the fact that Snape had turned him into a boy who wanted everything to be fair, well, that was the worst punishment of all.

Snape swatted hard, and Harry hissed, clenching his hands into fists.

"For Merlin's sake," Sirius said, his voice sharp, "let up on him. He's just a kid."

"I am not," Harry said as Snape said, "He's fine."

Sirius looked like he was about to get up and interfere, and Harry added, "I can take it. I've had worse."

"From him?" Sirius's expression darkened.

"No, in the Chamber. And a few weeks ago in the woods, being chased by the werewolf . . ." Harry trailed off as he felt Snape's hand stiffen on his back.

"Always seeking danger!" Snape began to paddle with spirit, but Harry was less than enthusiastic.

"Ah! Ow – no, stop. That's enough. You've been at it for – ow, stop it. Please!"

"You will stop putting yourself in danger," Snape ordered. "You will think before you act. You will not run off without telling adults where you are going and what you're doing. And when we tell you no, we mean no. And no more worrying me with these ridiculous stunts. They scare me, and I care about you too much to stand by and watch you rush around foolishly."

The tears came then, and Harry lowered his head so Sirius wouldn't see him cry. He hated himself for being such a baby, but Snape was still swatting and it was all too much for Harry to bear stoically.

"I'm sorry," he choked out. "I'm really, really sorry. Don't be angry, Dad – please."

The swatting stopped. The hand moved from his back up to the back of his neck. Snape squeezed warmly, and Harry straightened up and turned around. He could barely see, but he hugged the dark blur in front of him.

Snape put an arm around him, and Harry felt the world return to normal again. The scary fear disappeared, and he calmed down.

He might have hugged Snape longer, but with Sirius watching, Harry pulled back and tried to look grown-up again.

"I want you to apologize to Sirius for using such language in front of him," Snape said.

"Sorry for swearing," Harry said. He took off his glasses and cleaned them on his shirt as the world went blurry.

"Would you let me take you to a wizard doctor and have them fix your eye problems?" Snape asked in exasperation. "A simple spell, and your sight would be whole. I could probably do it if you wanted."

"You're not getting anywhere near my eyes," Harry put his glasses back on stubbornly. "I'm used to them – I look weird without them."

"You look ridiculous without them," Snape scoffed. "Oh, go hug your godfather. I know you want to."

"You don't know anything," Harry muttered, but he went to hug Sirius. Sirius stood and put both arms around him, and Harry enjoyed the warmth of the embrace. He thought he didn't get hugged enough, but he would have died before he admitted it.

When he pulled back, he snipped at Snape, "Should I go hug Vampyr, too?"

"You keep up the attitude, and you'll spend the summer in your room."

"You can't do that," Sirius objected. "You already punished him, rather harshly."

"I can take it," Harry squared his shoulders. He didn't want the men to start fighting, and he scrambled for a way to defuse the tension. "Do you want to walk down to the village with me and Vampyr? It'll be bright out for a few more hours. Can we, Snape?"

"For a little while," Snape agreed hesitantly. "But no going past the village, and come home by nine. You're going to bed at ten."

Harry would have argued, but all the running from the afternoon made an early bedtime sound appealing. He wasn't going to ask Snape to come, but he wanted it made clear that both men had distinctive roles in his life.

"It looks like more rain – take a coat," Snape directed.

Harry rolled his eyes, but he went to get Vampyr.

Snape saw them out with a firm, "No buying candy in the village, Harry."

Once they were out of sight from the house with Vampyr trotting along, Sirius took Harry by the shoulder and turned him around.

"What –" Harry started to ask, but a spell hit him on the rear. He yelped, but then the lingering pain from his spanking disappeared.

"Evil bat," Sirius said, grinning impulsively.

Harry looked back, but Snape wasn't running down the lane so he guessed they were safe. "Thanks, but he's not really that bad. At least punishments are over quickly. They don't go on and on with parents giving you the silent treatment or grounding you. Though I do have to do chores sometime, but he's never as bad as he promises to be."

Harry thought about telling how bad the first summer had been, back when he was sure Snape was insane, but he stopped himself in time. Sirius wouldn't understand – Harry wasn't sure he himself understood what had happened – but at the end of the day he belonged with Snape.

"You can come visit, every so often. Snape will raise hell, but I can manage him. What happened tonight – that wasn't all you. I was in trouble when we got here from Hogwarts, but he was making me wait because he likes to torture me sometimes, but only in small ways. I can take it. I can't take him being all nice and polite though. That's like pulling my fingernails out."

"Snape has done a number on you," Sirius shook his head.

"Maybe," Harry shrugged. "But he was the only person who did anything. I'll take him with all his flaws and problems any day over someone perfect and boring."

Sirius looked like he might say something, but he walked on in thoughtful silence.

The village was in sight when Sirius finally spoke. "The offer with me still stands. I just want you to know that."

"I appreciate it," Harry replied. "Once you find somewhere safe in a year or two, I'll come visit for a week or more. Just because I need to stay here doesn't mean I can't come visit. You were important to my parents, and you're important to me, too."

"James would be rolling over in his grave to hear you call Snape dad," Sirius said quietly.

"Yeah, I'm a traitor all right," Harry grinned. "You know how much it kills Snape that I look like my dad? I got Mum's eyes, but the rest of me is all James Potter. In the end, I'm the best revenge you could ask for."

Sirius laughed and tussled Harry's hair.

"What do you think?" Harry smiled mischievously as they stopped at the door of the small shop in the middle of the village. "How much candy could I sneak back into the house without Snape finding it?"

Later that evening, after Sirius had left, promising to tear Snape apart if he ever harmed Harry, Snape did find the candy and had it all lined up on Harry's bed. Harry came in from the bathroom to see it all out with Snape standing over the evidence.

"What did I say?" he demanded.

"You said I couldn't buy candy. Sirius bought it for me," Harry scooped up the candy and put it on the bureau. "I'll make it last. He promised to send me treats whenever he got the chance."

Snape said nothing. He swatted Harry once.

Harry made a face, pretending he was still sore.

"Don't even start. I know he healed you while you were out."

"Sometimes," Harry climbed into bed and settled back on the pillow, "you are too clever for your own good, Severus Snape. Why couldn't I have chosen someone stupid? I want to get away with more than you ever let me. Next time – idiot adoptive father."

"Good thing for you, I'm watching," Snape opened the top drawer of the bureau and raked all the candy in. He pulled out the hairbrush and set it on top firmly.

"Evil," Harry yawned and closed his eyes. Before brushing his teeth, he had shoved the brush back in the drawer, secretly wishing he could set it on fire.

"Get some sleep," Snape stepped towards the door.

"I didn't tell you earlier," Harry raised himself up on one elbow, "but you know how I had the map that Lupin took away from me? The Marauders Map that my dad, Lupin, Peter, and Sirius made?"

"Yes?" Snape said suspiciously.

"I got it back. Lupin gave it to me, I hid it, and I'm never telling you where it is."

In the dim bedroom, Snape seemed to swell with outrage. Harry grinned recklessly.

It was going to be a fun summer.

The End


End file.
